File:The Review at Spithead - ILN 1867.jpg

English: The Review at Spithead. Illustration for The Illustrated London News, 27 July 1867.

Volume: 51 , Issue: 1438
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THE NAVAL REVIEW. A REPIORT was given in our last publication of the grand naval review at Spithead, on Wednesday week; and our Court news also gave an account of the ceremony of investing the Sultan with the Garter, which was performed by her Majesty on board the Royal yacht Victoria and Albert, after the review. The Engraving on the front page of this Number represents the Sultan, at the Royal Clarence Yard, in Portsmouth Dockyard, embarking in the barge which conveyed him on board the Royal yacht Osborne. He was received on entering the yard by the Right Hon. H. T. Carry, First Lord of the Admiralty and the other members of the board, Admirals Sir A. Milne, G. H. Seymour, Sir John Hay, and Mr. Ducane, M.P.; with Captain Brandreth, private secretary, and Mr. W. E. Romaine, secretary to the Board. All the ships in the do-k had masthead colours hoisted ; and a salute was fired by the old Victory, Nelson's ship at Trafalgar, which displayed a Turkish ensign. The Admiralty yacht Enchantress, the Peninsular and Oriental Company's ship Ripon (appropriated to the use of members of the House of Commons), the Sybil (for the House of Lords), and the Tanjore (for her Majesty's Ministers and the diplomatic body) lay on the other side of the dock. The Osborne was in the centre of the dock, next the Duke of Wellington; the Port Admiral's flag was hoisted pro tem. on board the Asia. The Sultan, having arrived on board the Osborne, was joined by the persons of his suite from other barge;. He received an address from the Mayor and Corporation of Portsmouth; an, a few minutes before noon the Osborne moved out of the dock, followed by the Helicon, with the Viceroy of Egypt, and by the other vessels mentioned.

The large Engraving, which fills the two middle pages of this paper, is a view of the fleet at anchor, formed in two lines, with the Royal yachts passing between them. The ships of war, a list of which has been given, were so arranged that the port or left-hand division, Shown on the right hand in our Engraving, consisted of the wooden ships, headed by the Victoria, of 102 guns, which was under the command of Captain F. B. Seymour, C.B., and bore the flag of Admiral Sir T. Pasley, the Commander-in-Chief ; with the Donegal, Revenge, Duncan, St. George, and others; while the starboard or right-hand division consisted of the ironclads-namely, the Minotaur, Achilles, Warrior, Black Prince, Bellerophon, Lord Clyde, and Valiant; the Pallas and Research; the turret-ships Royal Sovereign and Wyvern; the twin-screw ships Viper and Vixen, and the Waterwitch, a vessel on the hydraulic principle; most of which have been made known to our readers by previous illustrations. There was an excellent opportunity for comparing the aspect of the wooden ships with that of the ironclads. It was generally remarked that, while the former presented the most magnificent appearance, the invulnerability and irresistible armament of the latter appealed most strongly to the imagination. The firing of the broadsides and great guns was tremendous; it was heard, some say, at Malvern and Monmouth, a distance of more than a hundred miles. The rehearsal of a conflict between the gun-boats of the fleet and the seaward forts and batteries, from Monckton Fort to Southsea Castle, is the subject of our third Illustration. The point of view from which it is taken is the King's Bastion. There were sixteen gun-boats, which lay near the shore, and could be distinctly seen by the spectators. The fire was kept up on both sides with great spirit, presenting a most animated sight. The illumination of the fleet, after dark in the evening, was less successful, as the weather prevented the spectators on land from seeing much of the lights shown by the fleet at Spithead.